Hell Hath No Fury
by reindeergames19
Summary: It's been almost a year since the attack on New York City. Agent Kate Poole is trying to get her life back on track when she receives some frightening news: Loki has escaped and is coming back to Earth with one goal, and one goal only...Vengeance. Loki/OC (Sequel to Trust Issues)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello lovlies! After many weeks of procrastination and shit tons of school work, I have finally completed the first chapter of the sequel to Trust Issues! Yay! Now, I'm not gonna say much except thank you to all who read and supported my first fic. I hope you will do the same for my second one as well! :) Anyways...Please read and REVIEW because it makes me very happy! Enjoy chapter 1 of Hell Hath No Fury!**

* * *

_Drip...Drip...Drip..._

Loki rolled over and faced the wall of his prison, the cold stone floor digging into his side. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his mind to block out the incessant sounds of his dank cell.

_Drip...Drip...Drip..._

Loki shot bolt upright, his eyes wide with annoyance and anger and his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides. His gaze searched the dark cell for the source of the obnoxious noise, but could find none. He slumped against the wall and rubbed his face tiredly with his long fingered hand. When he realized how pathetic he must have looked he froze and slowly lowered his hand. His face was a mask of cool determination, but his mind was swimming with a slew of crazed thoughts and plans. He needed to escape from the Hel that was his prison in the deepest bowels of Asgard. The realm which he mistakenly used to call home.

_Drip...Drip...Drip..._

The cogs in his mind began turning with more velocity, but as he plotted, his mind began to wander. They wandered back, many months now, to his time spent on that pathetic excuse of a realm. Midgard. His memories of his "visit" there as well as his almost-takeover flitted across his mind. But all of those petty thoughts dulled in comparison to the one who now danced across his memory. The only mortal, the only being for that matter, that had ever had such an intense hold on him. But now she was gone. Killed by the very force who had aided him in his attack on that dismal planet. Her face filled his thoughts as her voice echoed in his ears. As he thought of her and what could have been, everything, from the dismal cell he now called home to the punishment and torture he endured daily at the hands of beings who were beneath him, paled in comparison to his loss. Of her. Of Kate. Her name repeated itself over and over again in his mind.

_Drip...Drip...Drip..._

_Kate...Kate...Kate..._

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_Kate. Kate. Kate._

Loki bounded to his feet with a heart wrenching yell. He had had enough. Enough of imprisonment and pain. Enough of the hard, disappointed stares of Odin, his so called father and the heartbroken, pitying ones of both Frigga and Thor. Enough of the darkness that he was forced to live in. And most of all, he had had enough of being belittled and shunned by people he was better and smarter than. He was meant to be a king, and he would damn well be treated like one. As thoughts of escape ran through his mind, he forced all reminders and memories of the brown haired, blue eyed agent out. The time for sentiment was over. The time for vengeance was just beginning. Vengeance against the pitiful realm that had taken everything from him.

* * *

Kate rolled her eyes as she heard the beginning guitar strains of AC/DC's Back In Black coming from Tony's lab, or as she liked to call it, his "man cave." When she reached the door to the lab, she typed in her security clearance code, and pushed the door open. She spotted him working on one of his suits on the other side of room.

"Tony." He apparently couldn't hear her over the loud music (and his even louder singing), so she raised her voice to a subtle yell. "TONY!" He turned to look at her, his mouth still open mid-lyric. His mouth snapped shut abruptly before he told JARVIS to mute the music.

"What's doin' Mini-Me?" Stark sauntered over to her and snatched one of the coffees from her grip.

"Mini-Me?" She looked at him funny. "What the hell kind of nickname is that?"

"Well, now that you have an arch reactor like me, we're twins!" Kate stared at him for a moment, a blank expression on her face.

"Would you please explain to me how someone with your idiotic thought process is even able to function properly, let alone run a multibillion dollar company?"

"Practice." He said as he spun away from her and made his way to the other side of the lab where his suits were stored. "Now for more important things. Come hither, young Padawan. I have a surprise for you." Kate rolled her eyes at his other nickname for her as she walked across the room to stand next to him. "You ready?" He asked, a ridiculous smile plastered on his face.

"No."

"Good. Now close your eyes..." She reluctantly did as she was told as Tony relayed a command to JARVIS. There was a sound of a door sliding open as well as the sound of something very powerful booting up. "Alrighty then. Open!" Kate open her eyes slowly and nearly dropped the mug of coffee she was holding.

"What."

"Do you like it?"

"The."

"Well, of course you do. How could you not!"

"Fuck."

"See! Now we're officially twins!"

"Tony, thats a frigging Iron Man...Woman suit!"

"I prefer the moniker 'Iron Maiden.'"

"You expect me to actually wear that?"

"Well, duh, thats kind of the point." Tony rolled his eyes. "Your gonna be my sidekick." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"No." Kate stated.

"But..." Tony pleaded.

"Hell no. There is no way I'm putting that thing on."

"Well I'm sorry to have to tell you this, _Agent_ Poole," he said, putting unnecessary emphasis on the 'agent' part, "but I already told Fury about the suit and he thinks that it's a wonderful idea." He stated confidently as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Please remind me again why I live with you and put up this kind of bullshit." Kate muttered as she rubbed her face tiredly.

"Because you live in a bomb apartment with a million dollar view rent free?" Tony suggested. "Plus, it's either you lived here in Stark Tower or back on 'Fury's Flying Fortress.'"

"Oh, right. Thats why." Kate couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for the reminder."

"Glad to be of service." Tony smiled indulgently at her.

"So, are you gonna teach me how to use that thing or what?" She motioned to towards the "Iron Maiden" suit with an annoyed flick of her hand. "And does it really have to be those colors?"

"What colors would you prefer, princess?"

"I don't know." She stared at the suit for a moment. "Blue and silver, maybe? Golds not really my style."

"Gold is everyones style." Tony retorted, but when Kate just stared at him, he conceded. "Fine. I'll have JARVIS repaint the damn thing tonight, then tomorrow the real fun begins."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"Learning how to fly." Tony's face lit up with a ridiculously boyish grin.

"Flying." Kate nodded. "Right...Is this real life? I'm not quite sure any more." Tony opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by JARVIS informing him of an incoming call.

"Sir, Director Fury is calling."

"Tell Cyclops I'll call him back later."

"He says it's urgent, Sir." Tony rolled his eyes.

"It always is with him." He muttered. "Alright. Put him through." I moment later, Fury's stern face appeared on one of the many ridiculously huge screens in Tony's lab.

"What's crackin' Nicky! Always a pleasure to see your smiling face."

"There's been a situation, Stark."

"Not even a 'hello?'" Fury just glared at him. "I guess not...So whats the 'situation?'"

"Thor is back on Earth. Thats all I can tell you now. You and Agent Poole are needed at headquarters ASAP." The screen went black. Kate stood frozen next to Tony, staring blankly at the empty screen.

"Kate?" Tony put his hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" Kate nodded absently as she looked up at Tony.

"Ya, I'm fine." Kate turned and started making her way to the door of the lab. "We should go before Fury has a stroke."

"Right you are." Tony walked to the door and held it open. "Shall we?"

* * *

Kate and Tony walked side by side down one of the brightly lit corridor of the Helicarrier. When they finally walked into the main conference room, they were faced with quite a sight. Thor was slumped in a chair, blood and grime matting his hair and covering his face. Kate's eyes widened and Tony swore under his breath.

"What the hell happened to you, Fabio?" Tony questioned. Thor looked up at Tony, his gaze and demeanor weary and defeated.

"Loki has escaped." Thor stated tiredly. "He's coming."

* * *

**Reviews are greatly encouraged...**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello! I'm back from the dead finally! Sorry I have been AWOL for so long, but life decided to be a bit of a bitch and get in the way of my writing (life=finals). But the term is coming to a close (thank the lord), so I should be able to update more regularly while I'm on my break. This chapter isn't super long cause I haven't had a ton of time to write, but it is necessary in order to get the plot rolling.

I also wanted to give a HUGE shout out to all the amazingly amazing people who reviewed last chapter! Those awesome individuals would be:

**arnoldloveshelga7, angel-inthetardis, fearthereaper18, DoctorLokiLove, loki's valkyrie, Alyssa43, Kiyoko Hikari, StolenMuse, RainbowShelby, defiying gravity10, Blessedx2, Fire Daughter, celestialgaurdianfox, littleharleen, Yugioh13, Insanity's Breaking Point, Ellize Avalon, .x, and Guest.**

You guys, as well as the people who favorited and/or followed my new fic, rock my socks :)

P.S. I do not own anything from the Marvel universe.

* * *

_He's coming..._

Kate's head began to spin.

_Loki is coming..._

Kate swayed slightly and brought her hand to her forehead.

"You alright, Katie?" Tony asked worriedly as he grabbed her arm to steady her. Kate regained her composure as best as she could and nodded.

"Fine. Just got a little light headed, that's all." She stated quietly. Tony raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "I'm fine Tony. Really." Kate turned her attention back to Thor and spoke before Tony could say anything else. "When, and more importantly, how did Loki escape?"

"Three days ago." Thor responded.

"And already he has an army?" Tony questioned and Thor nodded solemnly. "Jesus. That guy works fast." Tony mumbled.

"We suspect that my brother somehow contacted the Chitauri while he was imprisoned. They attacked and we tried to stop them, but they broke Loki out of his prison and fled before we could even return the attack."

"And how the hell did he contact them exactly? I thought your father took away his powers." Tony crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the Norse god suspiciously.

"My brother has his ways. Some of them known to us, but many of them not." Thor rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Well isn't that just peachy. Now we have to kick his ass yet again." Tony threw his hands up as began pacing.

"So it would seem, Mr. Stark." Both Kate and Tony turned to look at Director Fury as he made his way over to the conference table. "Loki is once again a threat to this planet, and therefore our responsibility." Fury stated as he stood at the head of the table and placed his hands behind his back.

"But, sir?" Kate questioned. "How the hell are we going to stop him this time? We just barely managed to beat him the last time he attacked, and now he probably has a grudge mass against us the size of small planet."

"We're gonna have to, Agent Poole. We have no choice."

"And if we fail?" Kate asked.

"Not an option." Fury stated.

"Well whoop-de-fuckin'-do." Tony muttered as Fury glared at him with his one good eye.

"Tony?" Tony looked over at Kate.

"Ya?"

"Shut up. You're not helping." She turned to look at Thor again. "Where is Loki now?" She asked.

"It is hard to say." Thor responded. "Since the Bi-Frost was destroyed, his method of transportation will be less...convenient."

"How did _you _get here so fast, Fabio?"

"Dark magic." Thor frowned as he spoke. "My father thought that the situation necessitated the use of it."

"Speaking of 'dark magic,' does Loki have his powers again?" Tony asked. Thor lowered his gaze and remained silent. "I'll take that as a yes." Tony threw up his hands. "Lovely. Now we are truly screwed."

"Have a little faith, Mr. Stark." Tony and Kate turned around to look at Steve Rogers who choose that moment to walk into the room.

"I've got plenty of faith, Uncle Sam," Tony snarked. "But it's gonna take a bit more than your happy-go-lucky attitude to-"

"Gentleman," Fury interrupted. "As much as I enjoy listening to your unproductive and unintelligent banter, we have a soon-to-be-terrestrial threat imminently should be preparing for the worst."

Rogers gave Tony a disapproving look, to which Tony just stuck out his tongue and wondered off to find a drink.

"All right," said Rogers. "Then let's get started."

* * *

After Kate left Fury, Thor, and Steve planning on the bridge, she went in search of Tony and found him in the lab talking with Bruce, drink in hand-a very large drink.

"Do you think now is the best time for that, Tony?" Bruce and Tony looked up at the sound of her voice and Kate motioned to Tony's drink. He rolled his eyes and moved around the counter to approach her, Bruce following shyly behind.

"Anytime is the right time." Tony stated proudly as he took a large swig from his glass. "Especially when we all might be killed by a looney god at any moment."

"Right..." Kate mumbled before turning her attention to the doctor. "Hi, Bruce. Long time, no see." She smiled at the man who in return smiled at her.

"You can say that again." He responded quietly. "How are you holding up?"

"Pretty well." She replied. "Considering the Norse god who had a massive grudge against me and who thinks that I am not longer living is heading for Earth as we speak." Tony snorted at her comment and raised his glass for another drink, but before he could, Kate snatched it from his grasp and downed the drink herself. The expensive whiskey burned her throat and made her eyes water, but the numbness that began to spread through her body made the burn worth it.

"Hey! That shit is expensive!" Tony exclaimed.

"Not like you can't afford more." Kate said as she handed the empty class back to the pissed of billionaire. "Besides, your liver will thank me later." Tony grumbled as he walked back over to the work counter and began fiddling with a monitor of some kind. Kate turned her attention back to the quiet scientist who was still standing beside her when she felt him grasp her hand in his warm grip.

"Everything is going to be fine, Kate." He said, lowering his voice. "I won't let him hurt you again. I promise." Kate smiled sadly at him. She knew, deep down, that if Loki found out she was still alive, nothing or no one, not even Bruce Banner at his angriest, would be able to keep him from her.

"Thanks, Bruce." She gave his hand a light squeeze. "That means a lot."

"What are you two conspiring about over there?" Tony asked from the other side of the lab.

"The most effective method of killing someone while they sleep." Kate shot back before winking discreetly at Bruce and making her way over to where Tony was working.

"You wouldn't happen to be planning on using one of those methods on moi, would you?" Tony put a hand over his heart in a gesture of mock effrontery.

"Don't give me any ideas." Kate responded. Tony was about to make another snarky comment, when they were interrupted by Fury's voice echoing over the shipboard comm.

"Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner, and Agent Poole report to the bridge ASAP." Was all he said before the comm went silent.

"Sounds like Reindeer Games has finally decided to grace us with his illustrious presence." Tony joked, but his voice wavered slightly and betrayed his nervousness as the three of them walked out of the lab and towards the bridge.

* * *

Kate, Tony, and Bruce walked onto the bridge and into absolute chaos. Agents were running back and forth between monitors and Agent Hill was shouting orders at people while Fury, Steve, and Thor were huddled together and having what appeared to be a heated discussion about something.

"What the hell?" Tony muttered. "What's going on, Fury?" Fury didn't respond to Tony, but instead turned to a bald agent in a suit and glasses.

"Bring them up to speed, Agent." Fury stated. The bald agent with the glasses nodded and began to speak.

"Something broke the atmosphere approximately three minutes ago."

"Loki?" Bruce asked.

"It's too far away to tell yet, but whatever, or whoever it is, they're not alone."

"What's their trajectory?" Kate questioned.

"It's to soon to tell, but-" The agent went silent as his computer began beeping.

"What is it, Agent?" Fury questioned. "Did you figure out where they're headed?"

"England, sir." The agent responded quietly. "They're headed for England." Kate's heart ceased to beat for a few seconds when she processed what the agent had said. Loki was headed for England. One of the most powerful and influential countries in the world- as well as her home.

* * *

Loki's eyes wandered over the vast city of London, then over the sight of the massive army of Chitauri warriors that were his to command. His mouth twisted into a dark smile. England. This was where his Kate was from. And it would be the first nation of many to kneel before him. This time, he would not fail. This time, Midgard _would_ be his.

* * *

Reviews are God's gift to earth (and me). They are highly encouraged. Also, I was wondering if you all would like to learn a little bit about Kate's back story in future chapters. If so, drop me a review or a pm and I may just divulge some secrets of the enigma that is Kate Poole. ;)

xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hi everyone! No, I'm not dead, I promise, just super duper busy and overwhelmed. I'm sorry I haven't updated in like forever, but a lot of crazy shit has been going on in my life the last few weeks. My grandma was hospitalized a couple weeks ago and is still in intensive care, so I've been super busy supporting and/or worrying about her so I haven't had a lot of time to myself lately, so to kinda make up for the uber long wait, this chapter is a little longer than normal. Anyways, I hope everybody had very happy holidays filled with lots of love, presents, and alcohol!

Also, thanks to all who reviewed last chapter! Those awesome people would be:

**Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, Alyssa43, valkyrievault, PlaguingYourDreams, arnoldloveshelga7, Guest, Texas Shewolf, eve , Ethriel101, NINJAkitten214, DeanWinchesterFanGirl, katsnowstorm, Guest**

Happy New Year! xoxo

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"Out of all the places in the world, that bastard picks England." Tony murmured. "Why?"

"Agent Poole was born and raised there." Fury replied as he turned to look pointedly at Kate.

"So you think he picked England because of me?" Kate turned to face the Director. "Last time I checked, Director, Loki thinks I died during the battle in New York a little over a year ago. Why would this have anything to do with me?"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence." Bruce suggested.

"Nothing my brother ever does is a coincidence, Dr. Banner." Thor stated. "Every move he makes is made with a specific purpose in mind."

"Then whats Tall, Dark, and Loathsome's 'purpose' in picking the UK?" Tony questioned.

"I do not know." Thor replied tiredly.

"Shocking." Tony muttered sarcastically under his breath.

"Regardless of his motives, England, and more specifically London, is under attack." Fury stated. "And it's our job to stop it."

"Looks like the team is getting back together." Tony said as he rubbed his hands together and smiled like a little kid on Christmas.

"With a new addition." Fury added. "Agent Poole, you are now an official member of the Avengers."

"Thank you, sir." Kate replied, trying to mask her excitement. "I'm honored." Fury nodded at her before he continued speaking.

"Now, we're still a couple hours away from London, so I want Barton, Romanoff, Banner, and Rogers to take a jet and head to London ahead of us." The four of them nodded at Fury before making their way through the door and off the bridge. "Stark and Poole to suit up and follow them. Thor, you'll fly with them."

"Um, sir?"

"What is it, Poole?" Fury questioned irritably.

"I have absolutely no idea how to use the suit that Ton-I mean, that Mr. Stark gave me."

"You're a fast learner, Agent Poole." Fury replied as he turned to face one of the many monitors on the bridge. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Right." Kate replied dryly. "I'm sure I will."

"Don't worry, Katie." Tony wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they made their way off the bridge, Thor following closely behind them. "There's nothing to it."

"Says the MIT graduate who invented it...In a cave." Kate mumbled. Tony nodded proudly.

"Well, we better get our asses in gear." Tony stated as he quickened his pace. "Looks like we have to go and save the world...again."

* * *

"How you doing, Katie?" Tony's arrogant voice echoed through the comm system in Kate's "Iron Maiden" suit.

"Uhh, just trying not to crash." Kate replied shakily.

"No need to worry, Agent Poole." The cool, accented voice of Tony's computer sidekick, JARVIS, sounded over the comm system. "The statistical likely hood of you crashing is approximately 500,145.6 to 1."

"Thanks, JARVIS." Kate responded. "But you're not really helping."

"My apologies, Agent Poole."

"Don't worry so much, Kate." Tony scoffed. "JARVIS controls most of the onboard systems, and basically all you have to do is point and shoot at the bad guys."

"You make it sound so simple." Kate replied sarcastically. "Oh, and thanks for having the suit repainted so fast."

"No problamo, Mini-Me. The blue really makes your eyes pop." Kate rolled her eyes.

"You can't even see my eyes." She stated dryly.

"Well if I _could_ see them, I'm sure they'd be popping." He stated matter-of-factly before drastically changing the subject to one Kate hoped he would avoid. "So, you never told me you were British. I'm actually rather hurt, Katie. I thought we were the best of friends who told each other everything." He drawled in and exaggerated British accent.

"It isn't exactly rocket science to figure out, Tony." She responded. "It's not like I talk with an accent for my own amusement."

"You never know." He said as he flew higher to avoid a thick cloud bank, Kate following behind as best as she could. "Were you born in London?"

"No, I was actually born in Surrey, but I was sent to London to live with some relatives after my parents died when I was seven." She said, her voice devoid of emotion.

"I'm so sorry, Kate." Tony replied as he pulled back to fly abreast with her. "I had no idea."

"It's no matter. No need to dwell on the past." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Plus, SHIELD prefer their agents to be orphans with no familial connections. It makes things less complicated." Tony was about to respond when the sky suddenly darkened and a whooshing sound filled the air, followed by a loud crack of thunder.

"Here comes Fabio." Tony muttered before Thor flew by them, hammer in hand and pointed straight ahead.

"We better get a move one. We're almost there." Kate said as she increased her speed to catch up with the determined God of Thunder.

"Right oh, old girl." Tony mocked in his awful fake British accent. Kate just rolled her eyes and looked through a break in the clouds and down to the ancient city that lay beneath them, then gasped at what she saw. London was practically in ruins.

"Holy shit." Kate heard Tony mutter.

"You can say that again." Kate replied.

"Holy shit." He repeated. "And I thought the attack on NYC was bad." Kate stared down at the absolute chaos that was occurring in and around the streets of the city that had once been her home. Civilians were running in all different directions, trying to avoid the blasts from the Chitauris' guns, as well as the Chitauri themselves. Buildings were in flames or completely destroyed and lying in ruins. Smoke and terror filled the air and instantly Kate knew that this time was different. This was no Battle of New York. This was worse, much worse, and Kate had a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, that victory would not come easily. If it came at all. Kate was suddenly pulled from her morbid thoughts by the sound of Tony yelling at her to watch out. Suddenly, out of nowhere a Chitauri on one of their signature hover crafts fired three shots straight at Kate's head. She barley managed to dodge them before she turned and returned fire, effectively knocking the alien off of his craft and down to the streets below. She was staring at her armor plated hand in awe when Tony flew up beside her and patted her on the back with a loud clank.

"Nice shooting, Katie." He commented as he turned to fire at an oncoming Chitauri. "You're a natural." Kate smiled weakly, even though she knew Tony couldn't see her face, and turned to follow him as he headed towards a large cluster of Chitauri a few blocks away. "You ready for this?" He questioned as they neared the aliens.

"You know it." She stated as confidently as possible. Tony flew right into the middle of the cluster of aliens and began firing his weapons in all directions, hardly ever missing a shot. Kate stayed further away and took out any strays Tony happened to miss and warned him when they tried to sneak up on him. After about fifteen minutes of nonstop fighting, the cluster seemed to be getting bigger, not smaller

"Where the hell did Thor fly off to?" He asked. "There are too many. We need backup."

"Knowing him, he probably went looking for Loki so he can try and talk some sense into him."

"Good luck to him." Tony scoffed as he fired his repulsor right at a Chitarui's face, blowing his head almost completely off.

"Speaking of Thor, where are the others?" Kate asked as she fired at an oncoming alien. "Fury hasn't even tried to contact us, which is odd in and of itself." Tony was about to respond when Fury's stern voice sounded over both of their comm systems.

"Stark. Poole. Do you copy?"

"Speak of the devil." Tony muttered before Kate spoke over him.

"Yes, sir." She responded.

"Have you reached London yet?" He questioned.

"Yes, sir," She began, "but there are too many of them to handle by ourselves. Where are the others?"

"About two minutes out. Get yourselves to high ground and wait for the rest of the team to meet up with you."

"Will do, sir." She replied before the connection ended. "Thank God." She muttered. "Come on, Tony. Lets get out of here."

"Right when I was just starting to have a little fun, Fury has to go and spoil it." He muttered as they shot higher in the sky and away from the horde of Chitauri soldiers. They landed on the roof of a tall building away from where most of the Chitauri were patrolling, and didn't have to wait long for the sound of a quinjet hovering overhead.

"Finally." Kate murmured in relief.

"Took them long enough." Tony complained as the jet landed beside them on the roof, Natasha and Clint in the cockpit. The back of the jet opened up and Steve hurried out, dressed in full regalia, followed by Tasha and Clint who were dressed for battle and armed to the teeth, and Bruce who was dressed simply in a loose pair of trousers and a shirt. As the others were exiting the quinjet, Thor came out of nowhere and landed on the rooftop beside them with a loud boom.

"Look who finally decided to join us." Tony said as he waved his hand in Thor's direction. "Where'd you fly off to, Blondie?"

"I went in search of my brother." Thor stated tiredly.

"Any luck?" Steve asked.

"No." Thor said, shaking his head. "My brother is most likely commanding his army from some hidden location, waiting for the opportune moment to make himself known."

"He could be anywhere." Clint muttered.

"Well, if I were a deranged, egotistical, power hungry god, I would probably station myself in the biggest and/or most important building in the city and watch the action from there." Tony stated.

"Of course you would." Kate muttered. "But, Tony, this is London. There are a lot of big and/or important buildings."

"Then let's split up and check all of them out." Natasha suggested. "Any suggestions, Kate?"

"A few." Kate said.

"Call it, Agent Poole." Steve said as the other Avengers turned to face her.

"Tony, why don't you take the Houses of Parliament." She stated and Tony nodded. "Thor, you check the Tower."

"Of which tower do you speak, Lady Kate?" Kate thought she heard Tony mumble something along the lines of "freakin' tourist" at Thor's question.

"The Tower of London." She said, but Thor still looked confused. "Tony? Will you show him on your way?"

"Sure thing, Katie." He said as he turned to face Thor. "Come on, Goldie Locks, lets go." He stated as both he and Thor shot into the air and headed towards their respective destinations. Kate turned to face the others again.

"Steve, you check out Westminster Abbey." Steve nodded. "Clint and Tash, why don't you both take Buckingham Palace." Both agents nodded sharply and headed back towards the quinjet, Steve in tow. "Thank God the Queen goes to Scotland at this time of year." She muttered as an afterthought.

"No kidding." She heard Bruce reply over the sound of the quinjet taking off. "What do you want me to do, Kate?" The scientist questioned.

"I want you to get very angry, Bruce." He nodded sadly. "Then I want you to take out any, if not all the aliens you can." She said as she prepared to depart.

"Where are you heading?" Bruce asked.

"I'm going to go check out St. Paul's Cathedral." She said as she shot into the air. She glanced back down to where Bruce was standing and saw that he was already changing into the Hulk with surprising speed. Kate then took a deep breath and made her way over the city of London and towards St. Paul's. When she was about a block away from the cathedral, she spotted something or someone standing at the very top of the domed structure and she knew instantly that it was Loki. She stopped and hovered for a moment, staring at the armor clad figure from a distance. Kate then took a deep, calming breath and spoke into her comm system.

"I found him." She stated haltingly.

"Where's he at?" She heard Tony reply.

"St. Paul's. On the roof." She said.

"I'm on my way, Katie." Tony stated. "Stay put and keep and eye on him till I get there. I'll get a hold of the others on my way."

"Will do." She muttered as the communication ended. She hovered for a moment longer and watched Loki, but when he turned to go inside, she swore under her breath.

"Guess I'm on my own." She muttered as she flew towards Loki at full speed.

* * *

Loki's cape swirled around him in a dark green flurry as he stood on the top of the domed roof of what the mortals called St. Paul's Cathedral. He stared out over the vast city and smiled at what he saw. His army was wreaking absolute havoc on the population of the ancient city of London and Loki couldn't have been happier. He had plans for this great city. He knew that the Avengers had arrived sometime ago and were trying to stop his army and protect the city, but Loki knew their effort was futile. Victory would be his this time. He could feel it. Just as he was turning to make his way back inside the cathedral, he caught a glimpse of something flying towards him with great speed. He smiled when he realized it was an armor clad human, just like the Avenger, Tony Stark, only this human appeared to be smaller and most definitely female.

"Ah, a new addition. Lovely." He stated maliciously as he fired his scepter at her. She dodged his shot, just barley, before raising her hands to return fire, hitting him square in the chest and effectively knocking him off his feet. He bounded to his feet with an undignified bellow and fired at her again. This time he didn't miss, and she fell from the sky and landed on the narrow walkway that circled the dome of the cathedral about three feet from where he was standing. She struggled to stand and he took the opportunity to stride towards her, lean down, and wrap his hand around her armor covered neck. He lifted her off the ground as she struggled against his grip.

"Did Fury honestly think a tiny slip of a woman like you could defeat me singlehandedly?" She suddenly stopped struggling and her body went limp, but right as Loki loosened his grip a fraction, she took advantage and fired one of her weapons right at his stomach. He let her go as he was knocked backwards, and before he could regain his balance completely, she fired another volley at him. Loki lost it. He threw his scepter to the ground and charged at the girl, tackling her to the ground.

"Enough!" He yelled at her masked face as she struggled beneath him. "I grow tired of this game." He stated menacingly as he reached for her mask. "I think it's time I saw the face of my opponent." He said as he ripped her metal mask from her face. The mask then slipped from his bloodless fingers and landed with a clink beside them when he saw who's face it had been hiding. "Kate?"

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P.S. Reviews make me super happy ;)


	4. Chapter 4

__A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the wait...again. School is kicking my butt this quarter, plus I'm applying for a study abroad program in England and the apps are hellish. Anyways, here's the moment you've all been waiting for (I think)...Loki and Kate's reunion.  
Also, a big shout out to all who reviewed and or favorited last chapter ;). Those lovely people would be:

**Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, DoctorLokiLove, Alyssa43, KieraPSI, PlaguingYourDreams, WingMistress, NINJAkitten214, Texas Bobcat, arnoldloveshelga7, ShiningxXxShadowxXxThief, katsnowstorm, Guest, angel-inthetardis, Zamantha11**

You guys are awesome!

P.S. I don't own any if this shit btw. In case you didn't know that by now...

* * *

_Kate?_

Loki stared at the figure beneath him in awe as her name lingered on his lips, not at first believing what he saw.

"I thought you dead?" He whispered as he ran a tentative hand down her cheek and along her jaw. "I watched as the life drained from your eyes." Suddenly, he grew angry. He gripped her shoulders tightly and Kate's eyes widened in pain and surprise. "How is this possible?" He muttered, more to himself then to her, but when she didn't respond, he yelled, "Tell me!"

"M-my heart was irrevocably damaged by the blast from the Chitauri's gun." She whispered, her gaze not able to meet his. "I was at Death's door when Tony and Bruce found me in Stark Tower, and Tony had the idea to give me this." She said as she motioned towards the glowing arch reactor embedded in her chest. Loki's eyes widened in sudden realization.

"That was you that day." He murmured. "In the park, by the fountain." His grip on her shoulders tightened as he lifted his gaze from her. "I saw you. Before I was transported back to Asgard." His gaze shot back to her accusingly. "Why did you not make yourself known to me then?" He yelled. Loki could not believe this was happening. The woman who was to be his Queen, who he thought had died in his arms a year before, was now inches from him. Alive and well. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

"No matter." He said, opening his eyes slowly. "You are here now." He cupped her cheek in his hand and Kate flinched. "And I shall not allow you from my sight or my side again." He smiled down at her as he stroked her cheek softly. "My Kate." He leaned down to kiss her, but before their lips touched, Kate turned her head.

"No Loki." Kate stated firmly. "I am not yours. Nor will I ever be." Loki's eyes darkened as he wrapped his fingers slowly around her neck..

"No?" He whispered. "What makes you think you have a choice, my dear?" Then before Kate could respond, he brought his lips down on hers and kissed her roughly. Kate struggled, trying to dislodge Loki from on top of her, and after a few moments Loki pulled away from her with an irritated growl. "Why do you still fight me so, Kate?"

"Because I must." She whispered, staring up at him sadly. Loki leaned back and looked down at her, but before he could question her comment, he was knocked away from her by some unknown force. He pushed himself to his feet as he looked around for his attacker and spotted Kate out of the corner of his eye scrambling to her feet, preparing to take flight. Loki lunged for her before she could do so, but another shot came out of know where and knocked him off his feet again. He looked up and spotted Stark hovering a few feet away, all of his weapons pointed at Loki.

"Hands off the sidekick." Stark stated firmly.

"Hasn't someone had the decency to kill you yet?" Loki questioned snidely as he lifted himself from his present position on the ground with as much grace as possible.

"Oh, come now, Professor Snape." Tony said as he landed on the roof next to Kate. "That hurts my poor, damaged heart." He stated mockingly as he placed a hand over his glowing arch reactor. "Plus, who would want to kill me?"

"I could think of a few people," Loki smirked as he raised his staff to point it at Stark, "present company included." But before he could fire, the staff was knocked from his hands by a blast from one of Kate's repulsors.

"That was unwise, Kate." Loki stated softly. "Now I shall have to kill your obnoxious mortal in order to teach you a lesson in obedience." He summoned his staff back to his hand and pointed it at Tony yet again, but he froze when Kate stepped in front of Tony and right into Loki's line of fire.

"Not. Happening." She said firmly.

"You would choose him, a mere mortal, over me?" Loki stated incredulously. Kate responded by lifting her chin higher and stepping closer to Tony. "Very well, Kate." Loki's expression darkened as he lowered his scepter. "I suppose I shall just have to use a different tactic." Loki directed his gaze at Tony, his mouth lifting at the corners in a small smile. A moment later, the armor clad Stark fell to the ground as an agonized scream of pain was ripped from his lips. He clutched at his head as his face contorted from some unknown, inner pain. Kate fell to her knees beside Tony and tried to sooth the invisible pain, and when Tony's pain did not subside, she rose to her feet and glared at Loki.

"Stop it, Loki."

"Why ever should I do that?" Loki responded with a smirk.

"Because you'll kill him if you don't." She stated as another yell of agony was ripped from Tony's throat as if to emphasize her point.

"That was rather the point, my dear." Loki responded with a sneer. Kate looked from him then down at Tony who was rolling in pain at her feet, then back up at Loki again, a look of indecision on her face.

"Please, Loki." She whispered. "I'll do anything you say as long as you stop hurting him." Loki stared at her for a moment, his eyes squinted as if to judge the truth of her statement.

"Very well." With a lazy wave of his hand, Tony went quiet and still. "Now, come to me, Kate." He said as he held his hand out to her in invitation. Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath before slowly closing the distance between her and the power crazed god before her.

"Kate...Don't..." Kate stopped a few feet from Loki when she heard Tony's tired whisper. She turned around just as her friend rose shakily to his feet as he raised his hand and aimed his replusor at Loki. "Duck." She heard him whisper, and just barely had time to do as he said before he fired his weapon straight at Loki's head. Loki blocked the blast before it could make contact, but Stark and Kate used the distraction to their advantage and shot into the air before Loki could even return fire.

"No." Loki whispered as he watched the retreating form of his Kate disappear into the chaos of the city, the Iron Idiot Stark flying beside her. "Kate!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, his blood coursing angrily through his veins. He would find her, even if he had to destroy every city on this pitiful planet to do so. He wouldn't-no, he couldn't lose her again.

* * *

"You okay, Katie?" Tony asked as they flew away from St. Paul's as fast as their suits would carry them.

"Y-you're asking if I'm ok?" She turned to glance at him briefly, her eyes watering from the lack of protection her absent mask usually provided. "You're the one who was in agonizing pain not five minutes ago."

"It wan't as bad as you think." He stated, but Kate could tell that he was lying. "Thanks, by the way."

"For what?" Kate questioned.

"For protecting me like you did." He said. "I know that it wasn't easy seeing as you're not exactly Monsieur Mischief's number one fan." Kate almost laughed at the irony of his comment.

"You have no idea." She muttered, more to herself then to him. She turned her head slightly to smile at Tony. "You're like a brother to me, Tony. It's my job to protect you."

"Thanks 'Sis'" He said before changing the subject. "Now, we should probably land check in with the rest of the group before they think we're dead."

"That would probably be a good idea." She said as they descended and landed on the roof of the nearest high rise, then remembered she no longer had her helmet on her head. "Why don't you do the honors." She said as she gestured to her lack of headgear. "I seem to have lost my means of communication." She heard Tony mutter something that sounded like 'that was a brand new suit, dammit' before he activated his comm to contact the rest of the team. Kate couldn't make out the tinny sound of Steve Roger's voice from where she was standing, but by the tone of the Captain's voice and the growing look of concern on Tony's face, she could tell the news was not positive. When his comm went silent, he turned to look at Kate.

"What?" She asked. "Tony, what is it?"

"We're fucked."

* * *

Loki was still brooding on the roof of St. Paul's when one of his Chitauri commanders jumped from a hovercraft to land beside him. Loki eyed him as the Chitauri inclined his head slightly in respect.

"What news?" Loki turned to look out over the city.

"The mortals are weak. The city is ours." The Chitauri stated roughly. A smile slowly spread across Loki's face. Victory was finally his.

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Reviews are lovely :D


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello my loves! Long time, no update! I know, I know, I'm a bad girl :( but my life hates me right now and literally haven't had a free minute to write in weeks. This whole chapter was actually written in my psychology notebook during class ;) and I just recently had time to type it up. Now a few things about the chap: I apologize in advance that it's not super long, but it was the best I could do :(. Also, time skips ahead a bit in the middle of the chapter, just warning y'all. Anyways, I hope all is well and I sincerely hope you like this little chapter.

Thanks to all the awesome people who reviewed last chap as well:

**Loki'sdreamer, Yugioh13, DoctorLokiLove, PlaguingYourDreams, Ellize Avalon, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, NINJAkitten214, .x, angel-inthetardis, katsnowstorm, smore9**

P.S. (insert copyright disclaimer here)

* * *

"_We're fucked."_

Kate stared at Tony in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly. "What did Steve say?"

"We can't hold them off any longer." He muttered. "This isn't like New York. Their stronger this time."

"So what?" Kate said as she threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Are we just giving up then?"

"There is not much else that can be done." Tony and Kate turned quickly at the sound of Thor's tired voice. "The city is lost." He spoke softly.

"So that's it then." Kate fumed. "We're just going to roll over and give up." She turned to look at Thor. "Your brother won't stop with Britain. He's going to take over this world country by country and if we just give up now, months, if not weeks from now, he'll finally have what he's always wanted: total power." She turned to look over the burning city. "We might as well just hand over the bloody planet now, gift wrapped and all." She muttered as she turned her gaze to Tony again. "Tony, surely you see that we can't just surrender."

Tony remained silent and lowered his gaze causing Kate to clench her jaw in frustration. She opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted when a quin-jet landed a few yards away from them. A battered Clint, bruised Steve, and bleeding Natasha made their way out of the jet. They all looked defeated in both body and spirit.

"Have you heard from Fury?" Tasha asked.

"No, not yet." Tony said as he shook his head. "Where's Bruce?"

"Here." They all turned at the hoarse voice coming from behind them. "I'm here." Bruce was swaying unsteadily on his feet. His clothes were shredded and tattered and he was covered blood, both his and that of the Chitauri he had presumably slain. Kate bolted towards him and wrapped her arms around him has his legs finally gave out and he began to crumple to the ground.

"Bruce!" Kate whispered. "What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"L-Loki." He muttered. "He-he somehow forced me to change back to my human form when I was in the middle of taking out a half dozen Chitauri. They nearly ripped me to shreds before I could get away and change back again."

"Is that even possible?" Steve questioned as he helped Kate lift Bruce to his feet once more.

"Loki posses power I have never seen nor heard of before." Thor responded venomously.

"What kind of power are we talking about here." Tony asked.

"Dark magic." Thor stated sadly. "My brother has completely fallen into the darkness." He stared out over what remained of the once gleaming city of London with a look of remorse on his face. "I have failed him."

"Thor, Loki is not in his right mind." Kate remarked. "You can't blame yourself for his madness." Thor opened his mouth to protest, but went quiet when Natasha put her hand to her ear and spoke into her comm. All eyes were trained on her as she deactivated comm and waited for her to speak, but she remained silent.

"Tash?" Clint put his hand on her shoulder. "What is it?" Natasha slowly raised her gaze to look at all of them.

"Fury has ordered us back to base in order to regroup."

"So we're just gonna run back home with our tails between our legs?" Clint asked.

"We don't have much of a choice." Natasha replied. "We should go before Loki comes after us." She said as she made her way back over to the idling jet. "We'll be no use to anyone if he captures or kills us." The rest of the group followed Natasha onto the jet, except for Tony and Kate who hung behind.

"I won't leave my city in the hands of that...maniac." Kate whispered vehemently.

"And I won't leave _you_ in the hands of that maniac." Tony responded sternly. "Think about it, Katie. Now that he knows you're alive, and have been all this time, he will stop at nothing to get you back in his slimy clutches." Kate stared hard at him for a moment before her shoulders fell and she nodded solemnly. Tony took that opportunity to lead her onto the waiting jet. Kate sat mutely at the back of the jet, closed her eyes, and attempted to clear her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, all she saw was a pair of piercing green eyes staring back at her, the dark glint of madness glinted within their shadowy depths.

* * *

_England was the first of many countries to fall under the sheer power and force of Loki and his army. True to Kate's prediction, it took Loki only a few months to gain control of most of the Earth's first world countries. The whole of Europe fell like dominoes, countries surrendering one by one as Loki laid siege to their capital cities. Russia was the next to fall, followed by China, Japan, and India along with the rest of Asia as well. Africa and the Middle East followed closely behind as the countries around them plummeted into both political and economic ruin. Only after the rest of the world bowed under his rule, did Loki turn his attentions to America. They would be the last to fall...and Loki saw to it that they fell the hardest. He completely devastated the country and its people, and though they held on as long as they could, they were eventually defeated. Three months after his victory in London, Loki had crowned himself King of Midgard, his kingdom constructed on the rubble and ruin of the free world he had conquered. The Avengers, along with the other members of SHIELD, were hunted like animals by Loki's soldiers, and slowly there numbers, along with their hope, began to dwindle, for it appeared that all was lost._

_1 year later..._

Loki lounged on his throne in his newly remodeled "palace," which was once the iconic domed St. Paul's Cathedral. Since deciding that the capital for his "kingdom" would be London, he had made himself right at home in the ancient city, even going so far as to tear down practically the whole city before rebuilding it into a glimmering example of his power. Loki smirked as he glanced around at the opulence that surrounded him, before his gaze fell on the group of Chitauri officers assembled before him. Instantly, his smirk turned to a scowl.

"I gave you a simple task, yet you continue to fail me." He stated with quiet menace. "It has been over a year." The head Chitauri stepped forward before dropping to his knee before Loki.

"We have searched everywhere, My King." The Chitauri stated roughly. "There is still no sign of the Avengers."

"Then perhaps you can explain to me how they keep wreaking havoc on my army whenever they get the chance." Loki growled. "I'm quite sure they don't just disappear into thin air when they're through sabotaging my troops." He leaned forward slowly, the leather of his robes creaking with the movement. "Look. Harder." He whispered as he gripped the arms of his golden throne until his knuckles turned white and the metal dented under the pressure. The Chitauri shrank back slightly from the darkness in Loki's voice. "Bring them to me," he leaned back again, "or you will no longer be of use to me." The Chituari bowed low and walked back down the aisle and out the gold plated doors of the "throne room," leaving Loki alone with his thoughts. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath as he stroked the arm of his throne lazily. He had finally achieved his goal and at last had everything he wanted. His kingdom, his crown...but something was still missing.

His Queen.

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Reviews are my crack.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi! So, as most of you could probably tell by my lack of updates, I have been insanely busy with life and other crap, but in honor of the Thor 2 trailer being released (don't even get me started on Loki's hair), I decided to finally update! Yay! Anyways, here's a quick shout out to the awesome individuals who reviewed the last chap:

**Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, Guest, katsnowstorm, PlaguingYourDreams, DoctorLokiLove, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, arnoldloveshelga7, **

Now, ON WITH THE SHOW!

P.S. I do not own any form of anything from or pertaining to the Marvel universe (not even Loki's flowing locks from the Thor 2 trailer...bummer)

* * *

_It started with a whisper, like her name spoken softly on a warm, summer breeze. It washed over her like the sea over sand and sent chills down her spine. She would know that voice anywhere. Kate opened her eyes and was met with a pair of haunting green eyes._

"_Loki?" She whispered._

"_Do not tell me you have forgotten my face, dear Kate." He brushed a long finger across her cheek._

"_How could I?" Kate murmured as Loki moved his hand to cup her cheek. Against both her will and better judgement, Kate leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. "Your face has haunted me for months." Loki laughed softly and Kate's eyes shot open to see that he had shifted closer, his face a hairsbreadth from hers. She tried to stop herself, but a moment later, she felt herself lean forward and press her lips against his. She felt Loki smile against her lips before burying his fingers in her hair and dragging her into his lap. Kate's mind rebelled, but her body went willingly and she clung to Loki as if he were a life line. She wrapped her legs around his waist, causing Loki to let out a groan of pleasure._

"_Oh, how I've missed you." He whispered hoarsely as he lifted her off his lap and pinned her beneath him, both her wrists captured in one long-fingered hand. "Did you miss me?" He muttered before skimming his mouth along her jaw and onto her neck as she arched beneath him._

"_No." Kate moaned._

"_You're lying, little one," Loki dragged his hand over her hip and down her thigh before hooking her leg around his waist, "and I'm the God of Lies, remember?" He breathed in her ear before turning his attention back to her neck. _

"_S-stop!" Kate gripped his shoulder and attempted to push him off of her as she finally snapped out of her lust-induced daze. "Get off me!" She hissed, struggling in earnest. _

"_No, I don't think so, Kate." Loki gripped the back of her head and forced her face back towards his, latching his lips to hers once more as she wriggled for freedom beneath him. Only when Kate was struggling for breath did Loki remove his lips from hers. He looked down at Kate with heavy-lidded eyes, his lips curving into a satisfied smirk before he leaned down to kiss her again._

"_You're a monster." Kate whispered when Loki's lips were only an inch from hers. Loki froze._

"_Monster?" He muttered, his breath washing over Kate's face. "You are not the first to have called me that." He laughed softly, causing Kate to shiver at the humorless cadence of it. "Very well." He stated shortly. "If you think that I am some sort of beast, then I shall not disappoint you." Loki slowly lifted his face away from hers while he stared down at her with a maddened glint in his bright green eyes. A moment later, Kate felt sharp pain form in her chest. She hastily reached down and ran her hand over her chest before reaching a gaping hole. Her hand froze. "Lest you forget, dear Kate," Loki stated as he held up Kate's glowing arc reactor with a satisfied smirk on his face, "this 'monster' holds your heart in his hand." Kate's eyes widened in shock and fear as Loki crushed the glowing reactor, practically the only thing keeping her alive, right before her eyes with just a squeeze of his hand. A searing pain shot through the length of her body as she struggled for breath, his dark laughter echoing in her ears..._

Kate shot up in bed, a silent scream on her lips and her sweat drenched sheets twisted around her body. She struggled for breath as her hand flew to her chest. She let out a sigh of relief when her hand met with the solid mass of her arc reactor and not a gapping hole. She rubbed her hands over her face tiredly before swinging her legs around to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Just a dream." She murmured as she absentmindedly circled a finger around her arc reactor. "Calm your shit, Katie." She rubbed her eyes as she got up and hastily made her bed before she made her way over to the only window in her room and stared out the porthole and out over the vast blue sky. She closed her eyes and sighed before she leaned over and placed her forehead against the cool plexiglass of the porthole. The soft hum of the Helicarrier's engines soothed her frayed nerves and her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. The last year had been hard on both her and her compatriots. They had turned the Helicarrier into their main base and had been hiding from Loki's forces their since the horrible defeat in London a year ago. Kate sometimes had a hard time remembering what life was like before Loki had entered the picture. She could count on one hand the number of times she had smiled in the last year, and every single one of those times had been on account of Tony. Oh, Tony. Kate didn't know what she would do without the billionaire genius. Well, he was no longer a billionaire since Loki took over, having lost the bulk of his fortune to the ravages of a short but brutal war. Yet, to Kate's annoyance (and secret joy) he was still the snarky bastard the he was before the world was taken over by a crazed god and his alien minions. He was her rock, and without him, she would have lost her mind months ago. Kate attempted to stifle a rare smile as she thought about her sarcastic friend and jumped when she heard the door to her room slide open before the object of her thoughts strutted into her room as if he lived there.

"What's crackin', Katie?"

"How the hell did you get in?" Kate glared at him. "The door was locked." Tony scoffed.

"Locked schmocked." He waved his hand in dismissal. "And why does it matter?" Tony reclined on Kate's bed and propped his feet on a nearby chair. "Were you doing something naughty?" He stared at her with mock disapproval.

"Ya." She sighed as she flopped down on the bed next to Tony. "Totally." At the tone of her voice, Tony turned his head to look at her.

"Whats eatin' you, kid?"

"Nothing." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I've just been having some trouble sleeping." Tony smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Who hasn't?" He sighed as he brushed and imaginary speck of lint from his sleeve. "I'd give my whole fortune for a good eight hours...Oh wait, I don't have a fortune anymore." He crossed his arms to mirror Kate's. "That's annoying." Kate rested her hand on Tony's arm and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"At least you still have Pepper," she stated reassuringly, "and most of your suits." Tony smiled sadly and placed his hand over Kate's.

"You have an obnoxious habit of seeing the good in every situation." Tony stated, causing Kate to snort in amusement.

"It's the only way I've remained sane for this long." Kate responded.

"Well, lucky for me," Tony turned to look at her with a crazed expression on his face, "I wasn't sane to begin with." Kate stifled a giggle as Tony jumped off of her bed with a dramatic flourish. "Now, down to business."

"Oh, so this wasn't just a social call?" Kate questioned, laughter still lacing her voice.

"As much as I love calling on you socially," Tony grew solemn, "this is actually quite serious."

"Whats happened, Tony?" Kate leaned forward, completely serious now. "Have there been more casualties? I swear to God, if those-beasts have killed anymore agents..." Tony held up his hand to quiet her.

"It's nothing like that, Katie." He rubbed a hand over his eyes tiredly. "Fury's called a meeting."

"That's it?" Kate stared at her friend incredulously. "I was expecting something horrible."

"And you don't think a meeting with Cyclops is horrible?" Tony frowned.

"You're ridiculous."

"Pretty much." Tony replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we better get going before Fury gets so angry his other eye pops out." Kate said as she got off her bed and headed for the door, Tony's laughter following her out the door and into the brightly lit hallway.

"You know, I think my sense of humor is rubbing off on you." Tony stated proudly as he caught up with her as she headed in the direction of the Helicarrier's main meeting room.

"More like your sense of stupidity." She grimaced. "I think its contagious."

* * *

When they entered the meeting room, they were faced with absolute chaos. Kate and Tony looked at each other and then back at the madness before them and sighed in unison.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Fury glared at them from across the large glass conference table surrounded by the rest of the Avengers.

"I overslept." Kate replied as she and Tony took their seats at the table, the room growing eerily quiet. "Tony just came to fetch me for the meeting." Fury's eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to chastise her, but Tony interrupted him.

"So, what was the 'big emergency?'" Tony asked with a heavy dose of air quotes.

"Thor has returned from Asgard." Fury stated simply.

"Ok..." Tony said as he and Kate both turned their attentions to Thor on the other side of the table. "Will your dad help us out?"

"My father no longer has the power nor the patience to deal with my brother." Thor reported sadly. "It seems as if we are on our own."

"You mean he's just going to sit on his gilded throne back in your gilded world and do nothing as Loki enslaves the entire human population?" Tony hissed, causing Thor to lower his gaze.

"Tony," Kate intoned softly, "it's not his fault."

"Whosever fault it is, is not the point." Fury remarked. "The point is, is that we are Earth's last chance of gaining freedom, yet we are losing, both good men and women as well as hope." Fury placed his hands on the glass table top and stood. "And now it looks like we're going to have to take care of business ourselves," he glanced at Thor, "and without any outside help."

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Kate inquired.

"I've been thinking that we need someone on the inside." Fury replied. "Someone who could place themselves into Loki's ranks, gain information about his plans and strategies, and then report back to us. Someone Loki could come to trust."

"And who exactly _is_ this paragon of espionage and deceit?" Tony questioned as he raised an eyebrow.

"Someone Loki formed a bond with on his last visit to Earth." Fury said as his gaze moved to settle on Kate. She froze and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as six pairs of eyes followed Fury's example and turned towards her.

"Me?" Kate whispered.

"Yes." Fury responded as he pointed his finger at her. "You."

And then, all hell broke loose...

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Reviews, reviews, reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi again! I know! I'm updating twice in the same month, holy crap! I decided to post this chapter in honor of Iron Man 3 coming out! (if you haven't seen it, get thee to a movie theater. It's beautiful.) Anyways, this chap was kinda rushed, but I hope its kinda good ;).

Oh, and a big shout out to those who reviewed last chapter:

**Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, smore9,NINJAkitten214, katsnowstorm, PlaguingYourDreams, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, arnoldloveshelga7, Guest, angel-inthetardis**

You guys rock!

P.S. I don't own shit.

* * *

Kate shoved her hands deeper into her pockets and shivered. London was always chilly in November, but this was ridiculous. She burrowed her face into her thick, knitted scarf as she made her way down an almost unrecognizable Shaftesbury Avenue, completely devoid of people, which was quite odd at 8:00 on a Friday night. Loki must have enacted a mandatory curfew.

"Can't believe I'm doing this again." She mumbled to herself. "Bloody déjà vu." Kate huffed as she thought back to how she'd gotten herself into this mess...

"_Me?" Kate whispered._

"_Yes." Fury responded as he pointed his finger at her. "You." _

"_You can't be serious, Fury!" Tony shot from his seat at the table, along with all the other people and one very enraged God Of Thunder. "If I'm not mistaken, which I rarely ever am, the last time you tried to turn Kate into a double agent, a psycho god formed an obsessions that nearly got her killed!"_

"_Stark's right." Natasha said. "If anything, Loki will be even more suspicious of her now then he ever was. It's not likely that he'll give her his trust."_

"_Loki is not in his right mind." Fury stated, crossing his arms. "We could turn his obsession with Agent Poole to our advantage."_

"_Loki will see right through the deception." Clint said from his side of the table. "He may not be mentally stable, but he's still smarter and more powerful than most of us."_

"_The archer is right." Thor stated. "Loki is the God of Lies. It is almost impossible to trick the trickster." After Thor's statement, the remaining Avengers began bickering between themselves. Kate lost it._

"_Stop it!" She shot from her seat and her compatriots fell quiet. "Do I have no say in this?" She demanded. "After all, it's my life that's at risk."_

"_She's got a point." Banner, who had remained mostly silent to that point, remarked softly as he went to stand next to Kate. She turned to give the soft spoken scientist a small smile of thanks._

"_Very well," Fury replied, "what is your decision then, Poole." Kate lowered her gaze and took a deep breath before raising her head once more to address the whole table._

"_I agree that Loki is not exactly sane," She spoke, causing Tony to snort in sarcastic amusement, "but I will do whatever is necessary to protect this planet and its people." She stated with a conviction she did not feel as she stood up a little straighter. "Even if it means giving up my own life to do so."_

"_The ultimate sacrifice." Steve muttered._

"_Kate," Tony placed a hand on her arm, "you can't-"_

"_It's alright, Tony." She placed her hand over his. "I must do what needs to be done." She turned her gaze on Fury again. "When do I start?"_

Kate let out a humorless bark of laughter.

"You did this to yourself." She mumbled moodily. "Stupid git." She made her way down the deserted, snow-covered sidewalk, but a moment later, she froze in her tracks when she heard a low rumble in the distance. It grew closer by the second, and as it neared, the ground began to shake beneath her feet. "Shit." She swore under her breath as she spotted the source of the noise. About a dozen of Loki's Chitauri mounted on hovercrafts were headed straight for her. They were still about a mile off, but they were gaining fast. Kate turned and sprinted down the nearest side street as she pulled a satellite phone out of her coat pocket and pressed speed dial. The phone only had time to ring once before she heard Fury's voice on the other end.

"Status?" He questioned simply.

"A Chitauri patrol spotted me and are in pursuit." Kate responded breathlessly. _God, I'm out of shape,_ she thought to herself as she bolted down another darkened side street, heading in the direction of Piccadilly Circus. "I'm letting them chase me for a bit so as not to appear too willing to be captured." She remarked sarcastically.

"Good thinking, Poole." Fury said. "When they capture you, you know what to do."

"Yes, sir." She replied.

"Good luck, Poole." He said before the line went dead.

"Thanks a lot." Kate muttered as she threw the phone against the nearest building, causing it to shatter into pieces. She heard the rumble of the Chitauri hovercrafts in hot pursuit and slowed her run to a jog. She only had a moment to catch her breath before they caught up to her and surrounded her, guns loaded and pointed at her from every direction. She came to a complete stop and put her hands over her head.

"Don't shoot!" She shouted. "I surrender!"

* * *

Loki was sitting behind his ornate desk in his large study reviewing state documents when his scepter, which was leaning against the desk beside him, began glowing brightly. He wrapped his hand around it and instantly felt the familiar pulling sensation in his chest that signified he was being Summoned. His eyes slipped shut and when he opened them a moment later, he was faced with the barren, rock covered dimension of the Other.

"You seem to have forgotten your purpose, Asgardian." The hooded creature spoke from his position next to a jagged rock wall, almost completely hidden in shadow.

"And what purpose would that be?" Loki questioned snidely.

"You made a deal with my Master." He slunk away from the rock wall and slowly approached Loki. "Earth for Asgard." He circled behind Loki as he spoke. "The Chitauri have aided my Master in fulfilling his end of the bargain, and now it is time that you fulfill yours."

"I am working on it." The Other raised his hand as if to strike him, but froze when Loki added. "I am working _diligently_."

"It has been over a year." The Other took a step towards Loki. "Your slow progress wouldn't have anything to do with that mortal woman you show a suspicious amount of attention towards, would it?" Loki stiffened, his grip tightening on the handle of his scepter at the mention of Kate.

"Asgard is nearly impenetrable." Loki stated. The Others face morphed into what could only be described as a snarl.

"My Master bid me tell you that if Asgard is not under his rule in a years time, that he will come and destroy that pitiful excuse for a planet and you along with it." Loki's eyes widened at this and before he could even react, he felt himself being pulled back to his own dimension. When his eyes opened, he was again seated behind his desk. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, his head dropping into his hands. He nearly jumped when there was a loud knock on his study door.

"Enter." He ordered as he picked up his pen and turned his attention again to the documents before him. A moment later, a Chitauri commander entered the room and stood at attention.

"My King." The Chituari growled.

"Speak." He stated simply.

"We have captured another SHIELD agent." When Loki continued writing and didn't respond, the commander continued. "It is Agent Poole, my King." Loki hand stilled. After a few moments, he slowly set his pen down and sat back in his chair.

"Bring her." He rose from his chair and made his way to the throne room, his armor and helmet shimmering into place as he went.

The time had finally arrived.

* * *

Kate made a show of struggling against her captors as they dragged her up the stairs of what used to be St. Paul's and through the gilded double doors. Two Chitauri dragged her down the long aisle and towards the golden throne at the end where the alter used to be. Although her head was lowered, she could feel his gaze on her. When they reached the raised dais on which the throne rested, her two captors forced her to her knees and moved to stand behind her. Then, and only then, did she slowly raise her gaze to meet his.

"Hello, Kate." She stared at him intently for a moment before breaking the gaze and taking in her surroundings.

"I love what you've done with the place." She said as she gestured to the grand throne room as she tried rise to her feet, but was pushed to her knees again by the two guards behind her.

"I've been looking everywhere for you and your comrades."

"Oh really?" She questioned sarcastically. "I had no idea." Loki frowned as he gripped the arms of his throne.

"Still as fiery as ever, I see." His frown turned to a smirk. "And where, may I ask, have you been these past months?"

"Oh, you know," she shrugged her shoulders, "just hiding from you."

"That was unwise, dear Kate." Loki leaned forward in his throne. "But why come to London now, after all these months and knowing the dangers you faced?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was homesick?" She questioned sheepishly. Loki just glared at her and she sighed. "It's actually quite simple." she stated. "I was tired of hiding."

"And why should I trust anything you have say after everything you have done?" Loki inquired.

"Everything I've done?" Kate feigned ignorance.

"You betrayed me!" Kate stared wide eyed at Loki, shocked at his emotional outburst, but he quickly regained his regal composure. When Kate didn't speak, Loki added quietly. "Do you not remember?" He raised his eyebrows and stared at Kate questioningly. "If memory serves, it occurred more than once."

"I had no choice, Loki. You were crazed." Are crazed, she thought to herself. Loki's face lit up with a maniacal smile.

"Crazed you say?" He chuckled darkly. "You do not know the meaning of the word." He leaned back in his throne and stroked his chin thoughtfully "Now back to the matter at hand. What to do about you, my sweet." _Shit._ Kate gulped. The situation was going downhill fast.

"You could let me go." She offered, knowing that he would never even consider that as an option.

"And let your treachery go unpunished?" He smirked. "I think not." Loki rose from his throne and made his way down the dais and towards where Kate was kneeling. "The first offense I overlooked, even going so far as to offer you the now coveted position of my Queen, but the other deceptions..." Loki clicked his tongue disapprovingly "I shall not be so lenient." He reached down and twisted a strand of her hair around his finger, the digit brushing her cheek in the process. "I will make you wish that you had not betrayed me at all and passed up the opportunity to be Queen of this realm." Shit, shit, shit. _God, why did I let Fury bully me into this situation_, she thought to herself. She tried to lean away from Loki, but he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet. "From now on, you will be my slave..." He locked eyes with her and smiled maliciously, "and my whore." He motioned for the two guards to come forward as he removed his hand from her hair. "Take her to my quarters."

Kate felt two sets of hands clamp around her arms and force her towards a smaller door behind Loki's throne. She struggled with all her might, but her captors didn't budge as they dragged her through the door. _T__hat didn't exactly go as planned_, she thought. The last thing she saw before the door shut, was Loki as he stared after her, a mad smile pasted on his face. _Well,_ _at least I'm on the 'inside' now. _At this thought, Kate frowned.

She really was well and truly fucked.

* * *

Reviews are legit.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello again! I know this is like my third update this month, but I felt really bad about being so lame and not updating the last few months and I've been trying to make up for lost time ;D. Also, if anyone is willing to do some cool fan art for this fic, that would be awesome! I've been meaning to ask in my last few chapters, but I always seem to forget like a bloody moron. If anyone is interested, then just drop me a PM ;). Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed last chap:

**angel-inthetardis, Ellize Avalon, Alyssa43, Anonymous Mystery Reader, Loki'sdreamer, arnoldloveshelga7, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, ILoveAnime89, morganclaire1, Yugioh13, katsnowstorm, smore9, lostlittlething**

You guys are soooooo awesome!

P.S. (Insert stupid disclaimer here)

P.S.S. I also posted my Tumblr url on my profile if anyone is interested...

* * *

The two Chitauri manhandled Kate down a large marble hallway, washed in an eery golden glow by the multiple torch-lit sconces that lined the walls. She tried to regulate her breathing as they neared a large set of ornate double doors at the end of the hall and stopped before them. Her guards opened the doors and tossed her inside none to gently before slamming the doors behind her without a word, the sound of the doors locking echoed through the cavernous room. The chamber was cast in shadow, lit only by a single candle atop a large wooden desk with various books and documents piled on its surface. She approached the desk and quickly looked over her shoulder and back towards the locked door to ensure she was alone before she began riffling through the papers for any information she might find.

Discovering none, she replaced the documents and spun around slowly to take in the rest of her surroundings in the dark room. She noticed that almost every wall was lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with ancient-looking leather bound tomes and various nicknacks and other baubles. She remembered Thor telling her that Loki was the more scholarly of the two brothers and the impressive private library proved it. Kate turned around once more and her eyes fell on another door on the other side of the room. She made her way over to it and tried the handle to see if it was unlocked. When the handle turned easily and the door opened, she walked into the dimly lit chamber, but stopped short when she spotted a large bed draped in green and black silk that dominated the center of the room. A bed fit for a King, she thought wryly as her remaining strength left her and she was forced to sit down wearily on the edge of the silk covered monstrosity. Her head fell into her hands and her eyes burned with unshed tears of both utter exhaustion and frustration.

She was trapped inside Loki's palace in the middle of his shining capital city with no hope of escape or rescue. Granted, she was the one who made the decision to take the mission in the first place, yet it was not going exactly as planned. But, she was here now and she would do everything in her power to carry out this mission to the end, no matter the cost. She rose from the bed and squared her shoulders, determination written on her face. She was about to make her way out of Loki's bedroom and back into his study, but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching the outer door of the chamber. Her eyes darted around the room as she instinctively looked for a place to escape or, at the very least, a place to hide. She spotted a large Palladian window leading out onto a balcony and she bolted towards it. She had her hand wrapped around the handle when the footsteps halted right outside the room and she froze as she heard the door unlock and swing open. She silently moved towards the center of the room and widened her stance defensively as she awaited her captor.

"Kate?" He called out for her, the sound of her name in his silken voice sending cold chills down her spine. "Haven't you learned by now that hiding will do you no good, darling?" She could hear him making his way slowly and deliberately towards the bedroom and a moment later his lean frame filled the doorway, the golden glow of candles from the outer chamber framing his figure. With a wave of his slender hand, the room was filled with soft candle light. "There you are." He smiled when he spotted her in the middle of the room and Kate noticed that his armor had been replaced with more casual attire-well, casual for Loki, that is. Loki's gaze moved from her and towards his massive bed before he turned to stare at her yet again, an impish grin plastered on his face. "Straight to the bedroom." He winked at her suggestively. "Getting a bit ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" He strode towards her slowly. "Or have you missed me so much that you would like to skip the formalities all together?"

"Not on your life, Loki." She stated vehemently as she backed away from him as far as she could before the backs of her legs hit the edge of the bed. Loki stood toe to toe with her now.

"Is the idea so repulsive to you now?" He questioned. "If I remember correctly, you enjoyed it immensely when we were-how shall I put it-intimate." He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice. "I know I did."

"Don't remind me." Kate muttered as she turned her head and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And why not?" Loki breathed as he leaned closer still. "Does your unwilling attraction to me disgust you that much?"

"I am not attracted to you." She stated firmly.

"Then why won't you look at me." He questioned, his cool breath washing over her face as he placed a finger beneath her chin and tipped her face up towards his, but Kate still would not look at him. "Come now, don't be rude." When she still refused to look at him, he gripped her chin tightly and raised his voice. "Look at me!" She finally raised her gaze to lock with his. Loki smiled. "There's my Kate." He moved his hand to cup her flushed cheek. "I've missed your fire, my love." He said as he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger as Kate took in his haggard appearance. His eyes were sunken and bruised, his skin was devoid of any color, and his hair brushed his shoulders in messy, ebony waves. If it was possible, he looked more insane than he had during his first visit to New York. She tried to move away from him, but he wrapped a restraining arm around her waist and pulled her against his leather clad chest, effectively stilling her. "No, not so fast." He wrapped the strand of her hair he'd been toying with around his hand as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'm not finished with you yet." He bit down lightly on her ear lobe and Kate's eyes widened as she shivered. Loki chuckled darkly next to her ear before moving his attention to her neck. She pushed against his chest and attempted to struggle from his grasp again, but he grabbed her wrists and trapped her hands behind her back. "Why are you here, little one?" He murmured between kisses.

"Your freaky alien cronies captured me, remember?" She stated as calmly as possible.

"You are lying, Kate." He ceased his ministrations on her neck suddenly and lifted his head to stare at her, his lips brushing her own as he spoke. "I do not like to be lied to."

"What makes you think I'm lying?" She questioned as she stared him straight in the eye, thinking wryly of how much this whole situation reminded her of the dream she had of Loki back on the Helicarrier not three nights ago. Loki smirked as if he could see what she was thinking.

"You, my dear, are much to clever to get captured against your will." He ran a hand through her hair. "At least not without putting up one hell of a fight first." His hand traveled from her hair to wrap lightly around her slender throat. "Now," he tightened his grip slightly and she winced, "why are you here?" She glared at him for a moment before her expression softened.

"I was tired of running." She rasped. "Of hiding." Kate took a deep breath before she began reciting her cover story, praying to God that he would believe the concocted tale she was about to tell. "Life as an outlaw isn't exactly all its cracked up to be. We've done our best to try and take back our world, but Fury and the rest of SHIELD have grown weak and have lost sight of our purpose. We've been fighting amongst each other for months now and I'm sick of it. Sick of war and death and fighting for a lost cause."

"And what of your precious Avengers?" Loki inquired. "Have you lost faith in them as well?" Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering.

"They are just as bad as Fury and his other agents." The lie burned as she spoke it. "I can no longer fight with them."

"So you meant to get captured on purpose?" He questioned as he brushed a finger along her cheek.

"I meant to get away." She replied as she stared him straight in the eye. "Even if it meant getting captured." Loki's brow furrowed in concentration as he thought over what Kate had just told him, and after a moment he nodded slowly.

"And if I was to believe your story, what then?" He asked, his voice hardening. "Should I take you back and welcome you with open arms?"

"Loki, I-" Kate stammered, but she was cut off her Loki picked her up and threw her roughly on the bed.

"No!" He shouted, as she scrambled backwards across the silk coverlet. "No more lies!" He wrapped his hand around her ankle in a manacle-like grip and dragged her back towards the edge of the bed before he crawled on top of her and braced himself above her. "You are here for a reason, and whether your purpose is to spy for that mortal idiot, Fury, or to otherwise sabotage my kingdom from within, I will find out, Kate." He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head up so that their noses touched and she was forced to stare right into his maddened green eyes. "By whatever means necessary." Kate couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her. "And until you confess your purpose here and swear your loyalty to me alone, you will be nothing but a slave to me, _Agent Poole_." He dragged her off of the bed and towards the outer chamber door by her hair. The double doors swung open with a wave of his hand and he called for the two Chitauri guards who had been standing nearby.

"Get this whore out of my sight." Loki ordered as he released the grip on her hair and tossed her into the hallway. Kate fell to her knees and skidded across the marble floor.

"Where shall be take her, My King?" One of the aliens growled.

"The dungeon." He stated. _Dungeon?_ Kate thought with a shiver, _who the hell had dungeons anymore?_

"Loki." She rasped as the guards picked her up and began pulling her down the hall. "Loki, you bastard!" She yelled after his retreating figure as he turned and strode back into his chamber, the doors slamming shut with a haunting thud that echoed through the hall behind him. "Loki!"

* * *

Loki could still hear Kate's voice through the closed doors as she was dragged away from his room. He sat down heavily in the chair behind his desk and rubbed his temples wearily with his thumb and forefinger. As he sat, he thought of the different ways in which he could force her to give up her secrets and tell him what he wanted to know. He smiled darkly at the thought of her eventually standing by his side, loyal to him only. In love with him only.

"You heart will finally be mine, sweet Kate." He whispered.

* * *

Reviews are legit.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello all! I just want to apologize in advance for how short this chapter is :( I have finals this week and this was my last chance to update till summer and I only had time to write a short little filler chapter. In other news, I started writing a new Star Trek Into Darkness fic called _Into Fire_ in case anyone is interested (wink,wink). Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy the chapter even though its so dinky.

P.S. I do not own anything Marvel related. Pity.

* * *

The two Chitauri shoved Kate roughly into the dark cell and slammed the heavy metal door behind her with unnecessary force. She looked around the dank space and sighed as she moved towards the stone wall and sunk to the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and shivered as the chill of the dungeon rapidly set in.

"Bloody fantastic." She muttered to herself, the air so cold she could see her breath. She shivered again as she thought about what her next move should be. She had to somehow get out of this cell and back into Loki's good graces, and she had a sick feeling that she wasn't going to like what she would have to do to accomplish that.

"Shit." She sighed as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She had a sneaking suspicion when she first accepted the mission that she might have to go above and beyond the call of duty to gain Loki's trust and get the intel she needed. But, she had to do it without becoming emotionally compromised like she did back in Stark Tower over two years ago. That could pose a bit of a challenge. Kate leaned back and rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, she was going to have to use Loki's obsession with her against him. It seemed that seduction may be her only avenue of action.

* * *

Loki made his way down the narrow stone staircase that led to the what used to be the cellar of St. Paul's, but what was now multiple holding cells. He felt the air grow colder as he descended further into the darkness and although the chill didn't bother him, he briefly thought of how cold Kate must be after having spent the chilly winter night in the freezing underground cell deep beneath the converted cathedral. No. He mustn't let his feelings for Kate get in the way of what he had planned for her. She didn't deserve his sympathy after her multiple betrayals. She deserved everything that he had planned for her, and by the time he was finished with her she would belong completely to him, body and soul. Loki's lips curved into a smirk as he made his way down the darkened corridor until he reached Kate's cell. With a wave of his hand, the door unlocked and swung open revealing the shadowy interior of the frigid chamber, lit only by a sliver of diluted sunlight from a tiny window near the top of the stone wall. He spotted Kate instantly, huddled in the corner, her knees pulled to her chest for warmth. She lifted her head from atop her knees at the sound of his entry and proceeded to glare at him. If he were a lesser being, the look on her face may have caused him to quake in his proverbial boots, but being the god that he was, he responded to her glare with a gleaming smile of his own.

"I trust you slept well." He commented as his gaze darted around her cell. Kate scoffed.

"Yea bloody right." She muttered as she buried her hands deeper into the pockets of the wool peacoat that she had been wearing when she was captured.

"What a pity." Loki responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he ran his hand over the ancient stone wall of her prison. "You know, my own cell back on Asgard resembled this one almost perfectly." He murmured. "Right down to the brisk temperature, although that never bothered me much." Kate rolled her eyes.

"Have you come here to gloat or is there a legitimate reason for your visit?" She questioned snidely. "If not, would you kindly leave me to my thoughts."

"Thoughts of what, might I ask?" Loki leaned against the stone wall as he observed her.

"Thoughts of escape. Revenge. Warmth." She huddled deeper into her coat. "Take your pick." Loki chuckled darkly.

"Although I do so hate to interrupt your 'thoughts,' there _is_ purpose for my visit." He said as he twined his fingers together absentmindedly. Kate stared at him expectantly. "I have come to inform you of your new duties."

"Duties?" Her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You are to become my personal servant." He stated.

"Servant?" She gaped at him.

"Well, 'servant' does sound so much better than 'slave.'" He shrugged, an ironic smile tugging at his lips. It took Kate a moment to compose herself enough to speak.

"And what exactly does being your 'servant' entail, _Your Majesty?" _She questioned snidely. Loki smiled, as if he relished what he was about to say.

"You will clean my chambers, fetch my meals, care for my clothing and polish my armor." He paused, but then raised his finger as if he had forgotten something, though Kate knew that he probably just did it for effect. "Oh, and you will also help me bathe and dress." Kate gritted her teeth against her anger.

"Do my 'duties' include warming your bed as well?" She inquired, teeth clenched.

"What a delicious idea." Loki pushed himself away from the wall and approached her slowly as Kate rose shakily to her feet. "We could add it to the list if you so wish." He was now only inches from her. Kate's gaze darted around the room as she thought about what her next move should be, for she had not factored a situation like this into her plan. Seduction was a tricky thing, and if she proceeded to fast, Loki would undoubtedly become suspicious. "Is it possible that the great Katherine Poole is speechless?" Loki questioned after a moment of silence on her part.

"No." Her voice came out in a whisper, so she cleared her throat. "No, I was just waiting for my first order." She raised her gaze to meet his. "Isn't that what servants are supposed to do?" Loki grinned.

"You're a quick study, my dear." He leaned forward until his lips were next to her ear and whispered. "You'll be kneeling before me in no time." Kate shivered, but not from the cold. "But enough talk." Loki abruptly stepped away from her and headed back towards the door. "Time to begin your duties, dear Kate."

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Reviews make finals easier :D


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hello all! First off, I would just like to wish everyone (well, at least my fellow Americans) an awesome 4th of July, and follow that up with my usual apology about not updating in like a century and a half. I was going to update on like Friday, but my poor guinea pig who I've had for almost 6 years got sick in the middle of last week and sadly passed on Sunday :( so I've been a little emotionally distracted the last few days. Wow, this author's note is turning into a Shakespearean tragedy. Anyways, here's the chapter (finally)! Hope you enjoy!

Oh, and also a big shout out to everyone who reviewed last chap:

**Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, angel-inthetardis, ceres18, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, katsnowstorm, LittleRedx7, Yusakuraki, LETMELOVEYOU (Guest), Guest**

You guys rock!

P.S. Don't own a damn thing.

* * *

"Don't you find it just a wee bit troubling that Kate hasn't contacted us for almost a week now?" Tony questioned as he leaned back in his chair and lifted his hand to nonchalantly examine his cuticles.

"She said she would contact us if their were any important developments." Steve said from across the large glass table on the bridge of the Helicarrier.

"Ya, I get that, Stars and Stripes," Tony remarked snidely as he turned his chair to glance at Steve, "but I still think it's odd that their haven't been any 'important developments' seeing as everything Rudolph the Dip Shit Frost Giant does could potentially be an 'important development.'" Tony stated with a heavy dose of finger quotes. "I think we should go and get her."

"Tony, we understand how important Kate is to you, but we can't blow this mission just because you're worried about her." Natasha said as she leaned forward in her chair.

"You're damn right she's important to me." Tony stated, his expression as stony as his voice. "I made her a promise that I wouldn't let that slimy bastard hurt her and I intend to keep my word, even if it means blowing this whole goddamned operation which, by the way, I never agreed with in the first place." Everyone at the table stared at Tony as if he had grown another head, most of them shocked by his un-Tony-like emotional outburst.

"I had no idea she meant _that_ much to you, Stark." Steve murmured.

"Ya, well even narcissistic assholes like me still have the ability to care about people, contrary to popular belief." Tony sighed wearily and rubbed his eyes. "That kid is like a sister to me." He leaned back in his chair. "A sister I just sent into battle without any armor."

"Tony, you know that she couldn't possibly have taken her suit with her." Bruce stated calmly, attempting to placate his friend. "Plus, it was Kate's decision to accept the mission to begin with and you can't blame yourself for anything that might happen to her while she attempts to carry it out. She knew the risks."

"You should listen to Dr. Banner, Stark." Fury stated as he strode onto the bridge. "What you _should_ be focusing on, is how to help Agent Poole when she truly does need to be saved."

"Easy for you to say, Patch, seeing as your the one who sent her into the proverbial lion's den." Tony muttered as he rose from his chair and made his way to the door. "If anybody needs me, I'll be in the lab, drowning my worries with a stiff drink." He announced to the group of frowning heroes as he exited the bridge, the doors hissing shut behind him. The remaining people around the table stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"Great." Natasha murmured, breaking the silence. "Now we've got a psycho alien god _and_ an overprotective drunken genius to worry about."

* * *

Kate pushed her sweaty hair out of her face with an annoyed huff as she scrubbed furiously at a particularly stubborn spot of tarnish on one of Loki's golden vambraces. She was almost finished polishing his armor after almost three hours of rigorous drudgery, made longer by Loki sending her back to work when he "wasn't satisfied with the level of shine" with a strict order to make his armor "glow like the halls of Valhalla" before she was allowed to get some much needed sleep. She eyed the pieces of his scattered golden armor with distaste, the light from the two candles (apparently Loki had something against electricity) in Loki's ridiculously large walk-in closet dancing across their now pristine surfaces. She muttered to herself about pompous egotistical gods as she rubbed the cleaning rag over the last piece of armor until she could see her own haggard reflection in the glimmering surface. She had only been Loki's "servant" for a week or so, yet she felt as if she had aged at least five years. Hand to hand combat training was nothing compared to scrubbing floors on ones hands and knees all day. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and wiped her hands on the skirt of the simple woolen dress that Loki had supplied her with after taking her from her cell as she rose to her feet, her back cracking in protest. She then began to place the armor back into its allotted cabinet before blowing out the candles and making her way out of the dimly lit closet. Unfortunately, she had to go through Loki's bedchamber, in which he was now sleeping peacefully, in order to reach her own sad excuse for a bed located in his living room/study. Kate tip-toed across the darkened room as quietly as possible, eying Loki's sleeping figure in the massive bed warily, and was almost to the door when she stubbed her toe on one of the side tables near the door and let out an involuntary yelp of pain.

"You know, you really should watch where you are going." Loki's silken, and completely awake, voice came from the direction of the bed. "You're liable to break a toe." Kate huffed as she turned to face Loki-or at least what she could see of him.

"Your concern is touching, _Your Majesty_." She remarked snidely, dropping into a mock curtsey even though he probably couldn't even see her. "Now, if you don't mind, I kindly beg your leave to go to bed, seeing as it's the middle of the bloody night." She turned and placed her hand on the door handle, but was halted by a hand being placed over hers. _How the hell did he get over here so fast_, Kate thought to herself as Loki wrapped his cool fingers around her wrist and turned her to face him. She could just make out his dark outline from the sliver of moonlight coming from the floor length windows on the opposite side of the room, her eyes widening at what she could see. "You better not be naked." She muttered, more to herself then to him. She heard him chuckle darkly, his hand sliding down her wrist to grip her now callused fingers.

"I've overworked you, haven't I." He murmured as he rubbed her fingers absent-mindedly.

"Please don't tell me you're feeling guilty about it." Kate scoffed half-heartedly.

"On the contrary, it's what you deserve." He brought her hand to his lips. "Yet, I can't help but feel the slightest bit of remorse for tarnishing such beauty with too much hard work." His lips brushed against her knuckles as he spoke. "Leave the cleaning of my quarters to the other servants and focus your attentions solely upon my personal care."

"Your Majesty is too kind," Kate responded sarcastically as she attempted to reach behind her with her free hand and open the door, "but, I really must get some sleep, so if you will excuse me-" She yanked the door open a crack, but Loki placed his free hand beside her head and pushed it closed.

"Not so fast, my sweet." He leaned in closer to her. "Aren't you even going to say goodnight to your Lord and Master?" Kate closed her eyes and swayed towards him slightly.

"Goodnight." She stated succinctly as she leaned back and pulled the door open, taking advantage of Loki's momentary distraction. She slipped through the door and shut it directly behind her before leaning back against the cool wood, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She stood motionless for a moment longer until she heard Loki curse softly before making his way back to bed. Kate breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed herself away from the door and towards her small pallet in front of the fireplace. She removed her stained dress, leaving her only in a thin cotton shift, before lying down on the pallet and promptly falling into the glorious dark abyss of sleep.

* * *

Kate awoke with a start when she heard a low moan, bordering on a whimper, coming from Loki's bedchamber. She sat up and listened closely until she heard it yet again before slowly rising to her feet and making her way as quietly as possible towards the door to his room. She placed her ear against the cool wood and after a moment, she could hear Loki thrashing about in his bed and muttering in some language she couldn't identify. Against her better judgement, she slowly twisted the door handle and pushed it open silently before peeking into his room. Loki lay sprawled in the middle of his bed in the grips of a nightmare, thrashing as if he were fighting something, or someone off-and he was completely naked, except for the emerald sheets that just barely covered him from his hips to his knees.

"Loki?" She whispered, hoping that she could just wake him from where she stood safely by the door, but there was no response. She took a few steps farther into the room. "Loki?" She tried again a little louder, yet the thrashing and muttering continued. Kate swore under her breath before approaching the bed and reaching a tentative hand towards his shoulder with the intent to lightly shake him awake, but before her hand even reached him, his own shot out and grabbed her wrist in a bruising grip, still deep in the grips of his nightmare. Kate attempted to pry her wrist from his grasp, but he only tightened his hold before dragging her onto the bed any pinning her body beneath his. Kate began struggling in earnest, a fear of him that she hadn't felt since her first encounter with the God of Mischief creeping into her chest.

"Loki!" She finally screamed at the top of her lungs. Loki immediately froze above her, yet he still did not loosen his grip on her. Then, all of the sudden all of the candles in the bedroom came to life, casting the whole room in a bright golden glow. Kate was finally face to face with Loki and she couldn't help but cringe in sympathy at what she saw: His eyes were bloodshot and wide with fear bordering on mania and he was breathing heavily and shaking like a leaf. What ever he had been dreaming about had obviously scared the shit out of him, and that alone scared the hell out of Kate, for whatever could possibly frighten Loki must definitely be something to worry about.

"Loki?" She whispered, her voice snapping him out of his trance completely, for her loosened his grip on her and moved to sit on the edge of the bed before rubbing his eyes wearily. After the minutes dragged by in silence, Kate finally built up the will to speak. "What the hell was all that about?" She questioned softly. He didn't respond. "Loki?"

"Leave me." She heard him mutter.

"But-"

"I said leave me!" He shouted, causing Kate to jump slightly, and she quickly complied with the obviously upset god's order and scurried off the bed and towards the door before it slammed shut firmly behind her, the lock clicking into place.

* * *

Reviews are beautiful...Just sayin'.


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